Reverse-gear mechanism.



A. B. HARRINGTON.

REVERSE GEAR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 7, 1911.

2 1 1 l 9 1m Vw} -E 8H 1.x. m E J S m t n 8 L nd D WT/VESSES A. B. HARRINGTON.

REVERSE GEAR MEGHANISM.

APPLIUAIION FILED SEPT. 7, 1911.

1,029,6 1 0,, Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 I/V/TNESSES SQ //Vl/7V70/7 41/111 M 2 6221 11.1". X N

I TTNTTEU @TATE@ PATENT MT TTT I ALFRED'B. HARRINGTON, 0F DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS.

REVERSE-GEAR MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 11912.

Application filed September 7, 1911. Serial No. 648,200.

use with internal combustion engines or like motors which are constantly run in .one direction.

In devices of this sort it is particularly desirable that the reversal be efi'ected by means which shall avoid sudden and violent engagement of gearing and yet which when engaged shall afford a secure locking to prevent subsequent slipping. This desired result is particularly important in the reverse gear for motor boats inwhich there is usually desired only two connect-ions, one, full speed ahead, and the other a reversal at slow speed.

- By my invention I have been able to produce a reversing mechanism in which frictional engaging means are employed to secure a sufiiciently yielding initial connection at high speed and yet afford a sufiiciently positive ultimate drive.

The construction and operation of my invention will be more fully described in the specification which follows. In that specification and in the drawings which form a part of it, I have set forth particularly'an embodiment which I have found well adapted to practical use in marine .work. Throughout specification and drawing like reference numerals are employed to indicate corresponding parts and in the drawlngsr Figure 1 is an end view of my reverse gear mechanism with part of the casing broken away and with part of the internal gear indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a, side view with the gear mechanism in central vertical section with the parts set for slow speed reverse. Fig. 3 is a similar view end of the shell and carries on its inner with the parts set for direct drive ahead and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4- indicated in Fig. 3.

The reverse gear mechanism shown in the drawings comprises a casing 1 formed as a circular cup or shell open at one end. The cover 2 is fastened by bolts 3 to the 0 en ace a plurality of planetary pinions 28 mounted on studs 29. The ends of the studs 29 are supported in a ring 33 which is mounted on posts 33 to which the ring is attached by bolts 3.

p The casing 1 has a central opening on one side and the cover 2 a corresponding opening at its center. Through these openings respectively a propeller shaft 15 and the crank shaft 25 of .the engine project. To the propeller shaft 15 is keyed a sleeve 14: having on its inner end a disk 32 to which is fastened an annular flange 31 having near its outer edge an internal rack 30 meshing with the pinions 28. Inside the internal rack 30 the flange 31 is provided with oppositely set pairs. of ribs 37 which engage corresponding grooves in the rim of a disk 36.

Upon the rear face of the casing 1 1sa him 4 upon which is threaded a split collar 5 clamped by a bolt 6. A pair of arms 9 are pivoted at 8 to be forced apart by the cone 13 moved by the lever 16 to which the cone 13 is pinned as indicated at17.

The splitring 22 surrounds the caslng 1. This ring is supported on a base 24 which is bolted to the timbers upon which the engine is set or upon any other suitable supstuds project through the rear wall of the casing 1.

It will be understood that the shaft 15 is held against longitudinal movement by a thrust block as is usual in propeller shafts. Upon the end of the engine shaft 25 is keyed a gear 26 meshing with the pinions 28. This gear 26 has a hub which finds suitable bearing in the cover 2 at one end and a second hub on the opposite side which has a plurality of ribs 38.

A pair of friction disks 34 and 35 surround the inner hub of the gear 26 and are held against rotation thereon by the ribs '38 which engage corresponding grooves in the disks. These disks are set on each side of on the rim 31.

'. The operation of my device is as follows:

With the parts set as shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 25 will transmit its power through the planetary gear 26, 28 and 30 to rotate the shaft 15 to which the gears are connected by the sleeve 14 with its plate and flange 32 and 31. In this position the ring 22 is clamped as shown in Fig. 1 so that the casing 1 cannot turn. This gives a reverse drive from the shaft 25 to the shaft 15 at slow speed. When it is desired to shift so as to go ahead at high speed, the'lever 16 is thrown as indicated in Fig. 3. This rocks the lever 2l-releasing the ring 22. At the same time the cone 13 forces apart the levers 9. The inner ends 10 of these levers bear against the studs 11 and the ring 12 is brought frictionallyagainst the disk 32 on the sleeve 4. As the sleeve 4 is keyed to the shaft 15 it is held by the thrust block. The levers 9 pull the sleeve 5 which is mounted upon the hub 4E of the casing 1 thus drawingthe entire easing 1- through the ring 22. This movement brings the ring 33 which is fastened to the cover 2 against the disk 34.

This disk is-in turn moved against disk 36' which contacts on its other side withthe face of the disk 32. It will thus be seen that no less than eight friction surfaces are brought in contact with each other for the purpose of locking the engine shaft 35 to the propeller shaft 15 without throwing any additional strain upon the toothed pinions of .the planetary gearing.

The locked positlon is shown in Fig. 3 and in this position the casing 1 is free to rotate within 'the split ring 22 so that the entire gear mechanism rotates as a unit locking the engine shaft to the propeller shaft.

. Various modifications may obviously be made in the number of friction disks used and in the form and arrangement of the same and various'othermodifications of the structure in operation may be had, all without departing from the spirit of my invenclaims.

for holding said gearing against rotation to secure indirect drive and means for directly coupling" said shafts for direct drive.

2. In a device of the class described a driving shaft and a driven, shaft a rotatable casing, an indirect gear train in said casing for indirectly connecting said shafts, means 'for holding said casing against-rotation to secure indirect drive and means for directly coupling said shafts to said casing when free to rotate for direct drive.

" 3. A reverse gear mechanism comprising a rotatable-casing, means for holding said casing against rotation, a gear in .said cas ing, a driven shaft, a driving shaft, said casing being slidably mounted withreference thereto, adis k in said casing having an annular flange and a rack about the inner face thereof and connected to the driven shaft, intermediate gearing mounted on said casing and operatively intermeshing with said driving gear and said rack, a slidable friction member rotatably connected with said casing, slidable interposed friction members rotatably connected with said gear and means for moving said casing to engage said friction members.

4, A reverse gear mechanism comprising a rotatable casing, means for holding said casing against rotation, a gear insaid casing, a driven shaft, a driving shaft, said casing being slidably mounted with reference thereto, a disk in said casing having a' sleeve extending beyond said casing and an annular rack and connected to the driven shaft, intermediate gearing mounted on said casing and operatively-intermeshing with said driving gear and said rack, a frictionring' connected to said casing, interposed friction members rotatably connected with said gear and disk and held against rotation thereon 5. In a device of the class described a driving shaft and a driven shaft, a casing, reversing gearing in said casing and operatively connecting said shafts to turn said driven shaft at a slower speed than and in an opposite direction to said driving shaft, friction members on said driven shaft and on said casing, a friction member on said driving shaft andmeans to comp 'ess said friction members to lock said shafts 'directly together independent of said reversing gearing. i

6. In a reverse gear mechanism a driving 7 shaft, an indirect gear train operatively connecting said shafts, a casing, and frictional holding said casing against rotation for in- 10 means for directly connecting said shafts to direct drive through said gear train.

said casing independent of said gear train. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature h7 In 23 revi'erse geslilr nechanismba driving in presence of two witnesses,

s a t an a riven s a t, a rot-ata 1e casing,

an indirect gear train in said casin oper- ALFRED HARRINGTON atively connecting said shafts, frlctional Witnesses:

means for connecting said shafts to said ro- VICTORIA LOWDEN, tatable casing for direct drive and means for EDWARD N. GODING. 

